Will These Best Closed-Back Headphones Be Able To Compete Against The Audiophile-Grade Open-Back Headphones?

The open-back vs closed-back headphones was always a “thing” and there is no doubt that open-back headphones are better than closed-back headphones when it comes to natural sound and comfort but closed-back headphones provide many advantages over open-back headphones such as noise isolation, noise cancellation, higher bass quantity, etc. In this article, we will be discussing some of the best closed-back headphones ever released.

Sennheiser HD 820 is one of the latest releases of the company and this beast of a headset is one of the best closed-back headsets ever designed. This headset is not a replacement for the already leading HD 800 S but is more like an alternative for those want to enjoy a pair of closed-back headphones. The shape and design of the headphones are quite similar to the HD 800 S but the headband feels a bit tighter, which is why the overall comfort is somewhat lower.

The sound quality of these headphones is really impressive and you can notice every bit of detail there is, in the audio. The soundstage of the headphones is one of the most prominent qualities of these headphones and we were really surprised that a pair of closed-back headphones can achieve a soundstage this wide. The soundstage is definitely not as good as the HD 800 S of course, but it is not a lot lower too. The highs lack a bit of detail you would find in relatively brighter headphones but it is not very distracting. The noise isolation of these headphones is not as good as other headphones which is why you should look at other headphones if you want a pair of headphones to use in public.

Overall, Sennheiser HD 820 S is one of the best closed-back headphones you can buy right now and you should definitely consider buying them if you have enough budget.

Sony is one of the elite-class companies in the world when it comes to electronics and Sony MDRZ1R is the company’s flagship pair of headphones with a closed-back design. The headphones look really cool and the 70mm drivers seem unreal. The headphones use thick ear pads along with well-balanced headband, providing great comfort.

The sound signature of these headphones is V-shaped and the bass is very prominent. There is a slight leakage of bass in the low-mids but not that noticeable and there is quite much brightness in the headphones as well, which might be uncomfortable for some people, providing a piercing effect at high volumes.

Overall, Sony MDRZ1R is a great alternative to the HD 820 and you can get this pair of headphones instead if you listen to bass-heavy content.

AKG is a name which is known to almost everyone who has spent time in studios. AKG Pro Audio K872 is the flagship closed-back headset which offers a very compact and sophisticated design. The earcups of the headphones are not as big as other headphones at this price point but the padding is quite well-balanced and you will not find these headphones lacking in comfort. The headset uses a hybrid headband, with the frame being very durable while the inner one offers a super soft experience.

Since these are master reference headphones, you can expect these headphones to deliver you audio as close as you could imagine to the original recording. There is a bit of brightness in the headphones as well but this brightness acts as shine in the audio instead of actually changing the sound signature. That is why you can use these headphones for critical listening and these headphones will provide you the best of experiences in that field. The impedance of these headphones is very low, at only 36 Ohms, which is why you can use these headphones with even very low-power amplifiers.

Overall, AKG Pro Audio K872 is one of the best closed-back headphones you can buy for studios and these headphones will not disappoint you in any way.

Beyerdynamic is a German company and it really is very keen on the build quality of its products. Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Generation is a pair of high-end closed-back headphones which provide top of the line build quality along with impressive sound quality. The most prominent feature of this headset is that it can be driven by even smartphones, making them extremely portable. The comfort levels are not as good as you would find in the DT series headphones by Beyerdynamic but they do not cause irritation at all, even after a couple of hours of playback.

The headphones slightly emphasize the bass which is why none of the bass leaks into the mids. The soundstage of the headphones is really good and they feel as good as some high-end open-back headphones. The mids feel very detailed and textured, providing a pleasant experience while the highs are very smooth and non-fatiguing. The noise isolation property of the headphones is not very good which is why the the headphones suffer from sound leakage as well.

Overall, Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Generation is the best pair of closed-back headphones if you want a pair of high-end closed-back headphones which do not need an amplifier.

Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro is one of the best closed-back headphones by Beyerdynamic which is used in studios and the durability of these DT series headphones is unmatched. Moreover, the comfort levels of the headphones are as good as the build quality is and you can spend hours with these headphones without getting tired.

The sound signature of these headphones is very well balanced and thanks to the Tesla neodymium drivers, the audio is completely distortion-free. The soundstage of the headphones is not as good as the T5p but it is still better than other closed-back headphones. The flat frequency response of these headphones makes them a great choice for studio use and the noise isolation of these headphones is also good enough for studios.

Overall, DT 1770 Pro is one of the best closed-back headphones under $600 and you possibly cannot get a better deal at this price point.

V-MODA Crossfade M-100 is a very popular closed-back headset which uses military-grade materials, making them tank-like strong. The headband of the headphones is really awesome and feels heavenly, although the earpads could have been a bit more padded for a comfy experience.

The sound quality of the headphones is really good for the price and the most prominent part of the headphones is the bass response, where they really shine and provides the user with a detailed and powerful bass. Some people might find the bass to be a bit too much, although this cannot be said about everyone. The noise isolation of these headphones is pretty impressive too, which is why you can use these headphones for DJing as well.

Overall, these are the best closed-back headphones under $500 and you should definitely give them consideration if you like bass-heavy content.

Here we are with another product from Beyerdynamic, which is DT 770 Pro and these headphones are the siblings of DT 1770 Pro, with the major difference being the regular neodymium drivers instead of Tesla neodymium drivers. The shape of the headset is almost the same as that of the DT 1770 Pro, with the headband being a bit broader and the earcups being slightly thinner, making the headphones really comfortable. The weight of the headphones is also very low, enhancing comfort.

The sound signature of these headphones is quite similar to the DT 1770 Pro, however, they are not as consistent. The absence of Tesla drivers makes them slightly prone to distortion at high volumes, although, with the perfect amp, you will be able to drive the headphones greatly and efficiently. The noise isolation of these headphones is better than most of the closed-back headphones at this price point.

Overall, DT 770 Pro is a nice pair of closed-back headphones for those who want to buy a headset for studio use, although you will have to use a high-end amplifier to drive these headphones.

Audio-Technica ATH-M40x is a popular headset due to its cheap price and portable design. The headphones are foldable while the cable is detachable as well, providing great portability. The headphones use 40mm drivers, which is a bit disappointing but the sound quality is not bad for the price. The clamping force of the headphones is a bit high in the start but it eventually gets better.

The headphones greatly emphasize the bass and that is why the mids get affected due to the boomy bass. The highs, again, are elevated, providing extra detail, leaving recession in the mids.

Overall, these are the best closed-back headphones under $100 and you should definitely give them a chance if you are short of budget.

Buyer’s Guide

There are so many models of headphones in the market that you will not be able to choose one and be 100% sure about your purchase. That is why we have designed a buyer’s guide for those people who want to buy a pair of closed-back headphones.

Sound Signature

The sound signature of a pair of headphones is the most important factor when considering to buy a pair of closed-back headphones. The audible frequency of 20 Hz to 20 kHz is divided into three major parts, namely; lows, mids, and highs. The lows are responsible for the bass, the mids are responsible for the vocals and instrumental sounds while the highs are responsible for treble. Every pair of headphones provide a unique sound signature, where some of the frequencies are emphasized while some are under-emphasized. A lot of headphones try to provide a flat frequency response as well, which is certainly useful if you want to analyze the audio or use the headphones for mixing, etc. Therefore, we will advise you to go with headphones providing a V-shaped frequency response if you want to enjoy music but if you want to use the headphones for studio or prefer originality, you should check headphones providing flat frequency response.

Noise Isolation

The noise isolation is a very important factor when you are considering to buy a pair of closed-back headphones because this is the biggest reason to buy a closed-back headset after all, else open-back headphones would be a better option. It is carried out through the blockage of external noise by taking advantage of the physical material of the earcups. That is why the earcups of closed-back headphones are completely sealed. You can check the headphones for this particular characteristic only by wearing the headphones yourselves, although we will try our best to cover this area for you.

Ease Of Use & Comfort Levels

Ease of use is a very serious factor which is often ignored by low-end companies. Some of the headphones provide swivel in the earcups, providing a much better overall experience while some headphones come with long detachable cables. As for the comfort levels are concerned, you should make sure that the headphones you are considering to buy do not have a high clamping force, as this is the biggest issue in closed-back headphones because if the clamping force is not high enough the noise isolation suffers greatly while very high clamping force irritates the ears or puts a lot of pressure on the head. Another thing you should check in the headphones is the quality of earpads. Most of the high-end headphones these days come with memory-foam earpads, providing extra comfort while the extreme-class headphones use original leather-covering on the earpads as well. The weight of the headphones is also one of those things you should check beforehand, as you cannot change the weight of the headphones by any means. Usually, headphones with a weight lower than 250 grams are considered perfect.

Amplifier Requirements

The impedance of the headphones is directly linked with the power requirement of headphones and usually, headphones having an impedance of more than 50 Ohms should be coupled with headphone-amplifiers to drive them to their full potential. The quality of sound is also increased if you use a high-end amplifier while the amplifier also affects the sound signature. That is why you should couple warm-sounding headphones with bright amplifiers to balance them out or vice versa, although this depends a lot on personal preference.

Budget

The budget has a lot to do with the choice of headphones and you cannot expect audiophile-grade headphones with a budget of a hundred or two hundred bucks. There are compromises on the sound quality, however, what you can do is that you can choose headphones with a similar sound signature to the ones you like so that you only suffer from sound clarity or similar issues. Moreover, some of the companies provide similar physical designs for the lower-end models as well, providing similar comfort levels as the higher-end ones, with Beyerdynamic as one of the biggest examples.

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HeadphonesLab.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, HeadphonesLab.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.